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We have a sport utility vehicle that my siblings and I got for our Dad back in 2014. It was a limited edition Ford Everest that my Dad loved so much he took care of it like it was his own child. Even after years of using it, the SUV is still in very good condition. He would not let a weekend go by without cleaning it, either wet or dry cleaning. Once a year, he would make sure to bring the SUV over to a mobile car detailing in Toronto to get it thoroughly checked and cleaned including the interior of the vehicle. Change oil, wheel alignment were just two of the additional services he would avail of once a year as well. He was that vehicle owner who took car safety very seriously.

My Dad was our designated driver. He would drive us around, to work, to school (for my nephews and for my sister who teaches at a nearby school), and to anywhere around the city for errands. He would drive us and accompany us to the mall should there was a need to go there. He never complained because he just loved driving and loved being with all of us. He kept on telling us that he felt at ease when he knew our location especially when he was with anyone of us outside the house. He was our protector.

My Dad passed away March of 2020. Before the pandemic broke out, he passed away too soon. He was just a little over sixty years old! But, I guess, that is life for everyone of us. Alive and kicking today, could be gone tomorrow in a blink of an eye.

Now, our dilemma: only my youngest sibling, my brother, and his wife can drive the SUV. But they have their own car that we now use on almost a daily basis or when we need to run errands. The SUV is now sitting in our garage. We are in dire need of tips on how to maintain an SUV. We turn it on from time to time and we make sure to get it cleaned but it is now being driven like it used to when Dad was still here. My siblings and I talked about getting it sold but sentimental value would always win over practicality. We did not want to part ways with the vehicle because it was Dad’s. It was like selling our father in a way. We did not want to see it go to waste so it is either I will enroll in driving school or really sell it to someone we know.

We will decide soonest. I am hoping we can finally set aside our sentimentality and sell the vehicle so other people can still use it.

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Our house should have been well-protected from the elements. We made sure of that more for the sake of the kids. Who wants their kids being bitten by the bugs? So, we made sure that no mosquitoes or any other insect that will inflict harm on the kids will get in the house. There are quarterly pest controls being done at home as well as general cleaning once twice or thrice a year. But do you know those no see um bugs? Ah, I hate those little biting midges!

No See Um Screen Rolls is my solution to those pesky little things. I’ve read about no see ums online and it brought me to Quality Window Screen. It made me realize that the easiest way to make sure it won’t enter the house is to buy noseeum screen mesh.

I am sure it’s not just me but many adults with kids at home out there feel this way, too, but you know how you can feel so protective of your young love ones especially those living with you under one roof. You want to do everything in your power to make them feel secure and safe, even from something as little as those no see um biting bugs.

Since it’s been raining nonstop for the past several days now, I think it’s best if I ask my housemates to clean up doors, windows, and furniture especially those on the ground floor. We can change curtains now and vacuum the sofas as well as the mattresses.

I can’t wait for the whole house to be squeaky clean again and free of those pesky bugs!

One of my aunts called me out of the blue last weekend. Like majority of us in this side of the world, she is experiencing cabin fever. She told me she would go crazy if she would not take on a couple of projects to take her mind off the situation we are all in now. I am talking about the ongoing pandemic. She wanted to ask me for suggestions on what she could do while stuck at home most of the time. Two things I suggested to her: reorganize her furniture and appliance repair.

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My aunt’s house is a combined two big houses. The main house is the original house that they bought years ago. The second one, the smaller of the two houses, was bought just recently. The idea was to renovate it and put it up as a rental. But plans changed and they combined the houses into one. It is one big house! Five bedrooms with another one in the basement, a huge double kitchen, two dining rooms, a big family room, and a wide backyard. The backyard is big enough to hold celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, holiday parties.

Reorganizing her furniture will occupy a lot of her time. The idea came from a conversation I had with her about two or three years ago. A neighbor was selling their house and my aunt was telling the owner to move the furniture around so the aesthetic of the interior would change. She loves spending time choosing furniture and appliances, planning where to put those, and reorganizing it. She told me that I really gave her a good idea because she wants to move the sofas, couches, and recliners around.

Her backyard is another sub-project she could take on as she is in the process of getting furniture for it. And a hot tub as well.

Another suggestion is to take charge of the maintenance of the appliances. And another great idea, she said. She is already looking for an expert to do her washer repair. Cleaning of all her air conditioning units plus a check on the HVAC is also due.

I told her that there are a lot of things that she can do around the house. Instead of focusing on being stuck at home, I told her to focus her attention on things that she can now do while she has a lot of time in her hands. Aside from those two suggestions, she can also check on her electricity costs and how she can cut down on consumption. Another idea is to grow herbs. She has a green thumb so she can utilize that.

I was also feeling listless the past several weeks but when I pinned down the cause, I made sure to tackle it head on. I diverted my attention through reading and writing.

Any suggestions on what projects to take on now that majority of us are stuck at home?

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When I was younger, I resent the fact that I was always held accountable for my siblings. I am the eldest and I was always told that it was my responsibility to guide and protect my siblings no matter what. I knew for a fact that my mother brainwashed me so that being responsible would be deeply ingrained in me. And it worked! Up to this day that we are older, I still feel responsible for my siblings, even the one who already has a family of his own. I would check on them from time to time. I would make sure that my sisters are all safe and sound at home before I close my eyes at night. That’s me when I got older, now.

But back then, when an opportunity to escape from the responsibilities presented itself, I would grab it. Every time I could escape, they’d find me in my grandma’s house. I really just wanted to be left alone, to read, to play, to do everything without the burden of taking care of the young ones.

These days, I love being around my siblings. I think as we grow older, we appreciate so many things that we used to take for granted. A simple request to accompany my sister for an appliance repair is a cause for get-together already. Lunch or dinner together, coffee afterwards. Then, hanging out at someone’s home.

Just last week, my sister-in-law was asking about this dishwasher repair she found online. That conversation became a catalyst for a weekend staycation in one of the sibling’s places. It was such a memorable one.

Nowadays, I celebrate my siblings. I am grateful that I have not just one but four siblings plus a sister-in-law. I have two nephews. I am surrounded by love all the time and I feel blessed because of that. Not every person out there has that to his name. Yes, we are now orphans because our parents have passed on. And we miss them a lot especially when we are gathered together. My mother was the one who taught us to celebrate every moment we have of each other and we do that now more than ever.

Life is short. My siblings and I know that for a fact. Our mother died when she was only forty eight years old. Our father passed away before this pandemic hit the world. He was sixty two only. Both were too young. So many parents out there live to their eighties, nineties. But ours passed on early in their lives. So, we celebrate each other whenever we can. Because we all know how fragile our lives are. Who knows when we will be taken away from this world? Not us. We do know, though, that it can be today or tomorrow. Or a decade from now. So, we love each other fiercely nowadays. We celebrate being together and we celebrate each other.

You should, too. You don’t know when a love one will be taken away from you.

Are you one of the numerous fans of various house plants that have been posting in social media about it, left and right? I love plants. I have grown up surrounded by it because of my mom who was, primarily, a big fan of orchids. But I must admit I am not as big a fan as others who really shell out their hard-earned money for the newest “it” house plant being sold at the moment.

Still, the PlantShed flower delivery is bookmarked because we all love a house with plants and flowers in it. Succulents are our favorite right now. A high school friend of mine gave us a couple of succulents and it’s thriving, thanks to my sister who takes care of the plants we have.

I remember when my brother was getting married, my sister and I took care of almost everything related to the church and the reception venue. The flowers, in particular, we really made sure were ones guests would remember even years later. We were successful in that area, I must say. People remembered the beautiful white flowers we chose for the church, bouquets, boutonnières, and even centerpieces for the reception venue. Cally Lily is the primary flower we chose. It was really beautiful!

Plants, flowers, are not just to be placed at home. Every celebration needs to have flowers, in my opinion. If a special someone will be celebrating a milestone, you can always rely on gift delivery from Plant Shed in New York City, or elsewhere for that matter, so you can convey your felicitations.

A house plant, a bouquet of flowers, a succulent in a cute pot, or even a bonsai. Almost every person I know will thank you if you give them one now.